Nomad Writing in IKEA House

I’m typing this while in the living room of Taipei’s IKEA House and I feel like telling people to please remove their shoes before stepping on the rug. 5 minutes on this sofa, and I’m like, this is cool, I can move here tonight LOL. I am soooo tempted to cross my legs and bring my feet up on this plush softness I’ve plopped on to, but of course, manners. BUT IT IS SO GODDAMN TEMPTING.

Whosama whatchamadoin here?

Lately it’s been too hot in Taipei. My Weather app sometimes reads a 43 degree real-feel temperature. Like how effed is that?! Did all those earthquakes move us closer to the Middle East? Is Taiwan still in Asia? So before I bust my air conditioner for 24 hours (or more) running, I decided to just spend a day out in a cafe to get some stuff done. Them mall-rat skills paying off. Heh.

I’ve actually written about this place in my other post, but hesitated to review it because…you know how there’s just those special spots you want to keep secret because they’re so good and you want them all to yourself…yeah, it’s that.

Everything in this house is filled with IKEA furniture and whatnots, except maybe for the plastic flowers but I could be wrong. Even the restrooms are fitted with IKEA fixtures and has working showers! But nope, that’s not what you come here for. It’s actually one of those many themed cafes that Taiwan is known for. There are four floors and no elevators so I might have to caution you if you’re going to bring strollers with kids or I don’t know, your luggage? If you do decide to move in, rest assured the stairs are wide enough to fit your cabinet. Hehe.

People mostly come here to hang out and eat IKEA food if we happen to miss its Swedish meatballs, among other things. But you can only eat on the 1st, 2nd, and 4th floors. The 3rd floor is just a showroom complete with a restroom, though I’ve been seeing some folks bring small snacks here. Still, since there’s no condiment-and-tray area, I think it would be better if you skip eating in my the living room.

Cleanup your own meals when finished

Work-friendliness: 5 stars if it isn’t crowded, 2 stars if it is

Wi-Fi? Check.
Power outlets? Check.

Power outlets are all covered, and perhaps child-proofed that way. You can easily remove them if you need to use an outlet.

IKEA House is, first and foremost, a cafe and mini-shop. And in the past 2 hours I’ve been here, I’ve noticed that people come and go and walk around viewing the mini-showrooms and pretty much every little thing that accentuates the innards of this entire building. I’m still on the sofa right now and I’ve managed to accomplish my to-do’s plus this post. At the moment, I am enjoying the feel of them pillows on my back, with another pillow snug on my lap so that I can tap away…life is oohlala.

Feel at home

However, a family just arrived on this floor and they have kids. While they stayed in the bedroom, they’re now playing hide and seek and perhaps, mom’s also using it as a way to teach her kids English. So yeah, you can imagine there’s noise, not too much, but it isn’t as peaceful as I’d hope it would be. So if you are coming here to study or work or whatever things you need to do that need zen-like quiet, err it might not be the place for you.

If it also happens that you get here on one of its crowded touristy days, you can probably accomplish work if you can get a seat at the table on the 4th floor. The dining areas on the 1st and 2nd floors are most suited for casual diners and chatting, or for solo eaters.

At (some part of) the long dinner table on the 4th floor

Hangout friendliness: 3.5 stars

Although the cafe is very quaint and cozy, the dining areas could be too cozy for comfort. The tables and chairs on the 2nd floor I find too close to each other, and the ones on the 4th floor is basically one long dining table made up of 3 different 4-seater tables placed side-by-side. While you still get some privacy, it could be a little awkward to be talking out loud. And if you’re planning to come here on a date, well, make sure you skip the 2nd floor if it’s crowded because the noise will just overpower you as a couple.

The 2nd floor is just a cozy dining area4th floor’s also got this kitchen showroom where IKEA staff prepare some of the meals4th floor also has this stack of cabinets with some IKEA kitchen items for sale. And on the left, where the guy is, is the sole long dining table.

Menu

The menu here is pretty much the same menu you’d find in IKEAs in Taiwan, with the same price. But I think the winner here is that you can do takeouts with proper takeout container! FINALLY!

Cashier and menu are on the 1st floor.

Getting here

Should I really disclose this? Can’t you just find it yourself? Haha, just kidding. So in the spirit of sharing is caring, this Taipei IKEA House is located near the Huashan Creative Park. To get here, best to ride the Zhongxiao Xinsheng MRT station then get off at Exit 1. Just walk straight until you reach Huashan Creative park, walk past it, the IKEA House would be on your right side and is definitely hard to miss.

If you don’t have time to check out an actual IKEA in Taipei and explore its big full showrooms, visiting the IKEA House would be a taste of that–quite literally and figuratively.